Alarm-clock.



E. T. LEWIS.

ALARM cLocK,v

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 2B, 19|?- 1,245,245. mm NW. 8, 1917.

alarm-mechanism.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD T. LEWIS, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ALARM-CLOCK.

T all witam it may Gomera:

lBe'lt known that I, EDWARD T. Lnwis, a

' citizen of the United States, residing at Los 'Angelesf,` in the Vcounty of Los Angeles and for windingthe time-mechanism and thel In alarm clocks of common construction the alarm-mechanlsm is usually wound by one key while the timing-mechanism is wound by another key. It is the p'rincipal object. of this 'invention to provide simple means for permitting the alarm and timinginechani'sm `to be wound by the same key,

'either simultaneously or separately.

` -which is here shown as provided with a' clock Another object of this invention is to provide means whereby the alarm-mechanism will remain idle while' the timing-mechanism is w-ound, without damaging the spring of either the alarm .or timing-mechanisms.

It is a further object of. this invention to provide a winding key' and a mechanism actuated thereby which are simple in'construction, will eliminate the use of a number 'of .parts now necessary in most alarm clocks, and may be easily operated to produce the desired results.` i

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention is illustrated, by way of example, in' the accompanying drawings in which: a

Figure 1 is a view of an alarm clock as seen in rear elevation with parts of the case broken away to disclose the winding mechanisms of the alarm and time movements.

Fig.2 is a View in section and elevation 4disclos'ing the position's of the main spring and the alarm spring and illustrating in detail the winding gears connected therewith.

Fig. 8 is a view in end elevation as seen on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating the clutch action of the alarm mechanism sprinof.

Fig. 4 is a view in elevation disclosing a modificd form of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 10 indicates the case of an alarm clock,

mechanism 11 and an alarm-mechanism 12. The clock mechanism is adapted to be driven by a main spring 13 while the alarm-mechansm is driven by a coil spring 14. The Spring 14 is secured at its inner end to a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application fiied March 28, 1917.

' Sel'VeS {IS Patented Nov. 6, 191 *7.

Serial No. 158,026.

winding shaft 15 around which it is coiled. The outer end of the spring 141 is` loosely confined within a circular spring drum 16. This drum is mounted upon the back of a driving gear 17 adapted to impart motion to the alarm-mechanism. The tendency of the spring 14 to expand itself causes the free end thereof to frictionally engage the inner periphery of the drum and drive the gear. An ordinary clock spring will run an alarm much longer than is desired, and so by using one 'of these long Springs in the alarm drum I am able to get suilicient action out of the alarm and leave several turns of the spring unwound against the inner face of the drum, and this a `friction drive. much of the spring is wound it will slip in the drum butas soon as the winding stops the spring will clutch the drum'again; Fixed at the outer end of the shaft 15`is a winding gear 18 which is hereshown as in constant mesh with a winding pinion 19.' This pin- 1on 1s secured upon a short stub-shaft and 'is interposed between the alarm winding gear 18 and the timing-mechanism winding gear 20. As shown m F1g. 1 of the drawmgs, thlsp1n1on is in mesh wlth both gears 18 and 20. Reference being had to Fig. 2,

.ness of the gear 18, will remain in mesh therewith so that the alarm-mechanism may p be wound independent of the timing-mechanism. A spring 22 is positioned upon the outer end of the stub-shaft and yieldably holds the pinion 19 in mesh with both gears 18 .and 20.

In the modified form of the invention, as disclosed in Fig. -l of the drawings, it will be seen that the winding pinion 19 is mounted upon an oscillating arm 23 and is in mesh with the gear 20 and may be swung into mesh with gear 18 and it may be rotated by the key 21.

In operation, the two mechanisms are wound by turning the key4 21. In case the alarm spring 11 Ais wound before the winding of the main spring 13 is completed, the spring 141 will slip within the drum 16 and will permit the shaft 15 to rotate Without dama-ging the spring. At the same time,

however, the main spring may be continuously wound, as will be understood. In case the niaiii spring has been wound and it is desired to wind the alarm-mechanism, the key 21 is drawn Outwardly and the pinion slipped from mesh with the gear 20, after wliich it may be rotated to wind the spring ll independently.

In the inodified form, the two springs may be wound siniultaneously by swinging the pinion 19 into mesh witli gears 18 and 20, the winding action being the same as previously described, and when the main spring is to be wound separately the pinion may be swung out of mesh witli the gear 18 and will continue in mesh with the gear 20. In using this modified form, if it is desired to wind the alarm spring, care should be taken to throw the pinion 19 into mesh with the gear 18 before the main spring has been wound.

It will thus be seen that the winding device here provided is simple in its operation and construction and will positively produce the results desired.

g While I have shown the preferred construction of my alarm clock as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes in the combination, construction, and arrangement of parts may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit Of my invention.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock, the combination with a time-mech. nism, of an alarm-mechanism, a coiled spring Operating said timemechanism, a coiled spring Operating said alarm-mechanism, and a single means at the wil] of the operator for selectively Winding either the spring for said alarm-mechanism or both of said springs simu'ltaneously.

2. In an alarm clock, the combination with a tiine-mechanism, of an alarm-mechanisin, al coiled spring Operating said timemechanism, a coiled spring Operating said alarm-mechanism, and means for winding i said Springs simultaneously, said means comprising a shaft, a winding pinion loosely Gopiel ot thh patent may mounted thereon, manually operated means for rotating said pinion, a winding gear wheel Operatively connected to the sprin for said time-mechanism, and a gear Whee opei'atively connected to the spring of said I anism, a coiled spring Operating said alarmniechanism, each of said Springs having s; separate gear wheel operatively connected thereto, said gears being disposed in the same plane, a driving pinion in mesh With both of said gear Wheels, means for rotating ,55 said pinion to wind said Springs, a shaft on which said pinion is loosely mounted, and i'esilient means tending to hold said pinion in mesh with both of said gear Wheels and means whereby said pinion may be moved 74) out of mesh with one of said gear Wheels.

4. In an alarm clock, the combination with a time-mechanism, of an alarm-mechanism, a coiled spring Operating said timemechanism, a coiled spring operatin saidfl alarm-mechanism, separate gear Whee s 0p-"` eratively connected to said sprin a winding pinion in mesh with' both O said gear Wheels, manual means for rotating said winding pinion, a barrel in which the spring fOi' said alarm-mechanism is coiled, and a sh aft on whichthe gear wheel for said alarm spring is mounted, said shaft extending into said barrel and being permanently attached to the inner end of said alarm springf'said 35 alarm spring being of a length to sufliciently fill said barrel and havin its Outer end unattached, whereby the inion may wind the gear wheel for the a arm spring con-- tinuously without danger of breaking said .90 last named spring.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this speeification.

EDWARD T. LEWIS.

be obtained tor flve cent' each, by addreuinz the commluioner ot Punto,

walhington, D. 0. 

